Children's Home run by United Children's Services Limited in Nottinghamshire

Requires improvement

The children's home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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because:

 There is a reliance on staff from other homes and agency workers, as the permanent staff team is currently small. Most staff are not qualified, or experienced with the current group of young people. The registered manager does not have any information about the qualifications that agency staff hold. This does not provide young people with continuity and makes it difficult for them to build strong trusted relationships.

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because:

 Staff who have been deprived of sleep due to the behaviour of young people have been asked to drive with young people in the car. This puts young people and staff at risk.

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because:

 Communication between staff, and planning and direction about how staff should keep a young person safe after a serious incident were initially poor. The shift when the young person returned to the house had no experienced staff on duty until this was identified by the inspector.

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because:

 Boundaries are not consistently upheld by staff, resulting in young people becoming angry and frustrated.

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because:

 The fire door to the kitchen is continually propped open and some fire risk assessments do not comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

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because:

 Young people think ‘it’s all right’, living at this home. They enjoy taking part in activities and are encouraged to integrate with the local community.

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because:

 Young people make progress, as there have been a decrease in young people running away from care, and being involved in drug and alcohol abuse. There have been no incidents of young people going missing from this home.

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because:

 Young people are listened to. They are consulted about menus, activities and decor.

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because:

 The registered manager understands the strengths and weaknesses of the home, and has plans in place to address identified shortfalls.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person(s) meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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The protection of children standard

In order to meet the protection of children standard, with particular reference to staff driving while tired:

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The protection of children standard

12. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered provider to ensure— (b) that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm; 30/05/2016

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The leadership and management standard

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, with particular reference to the adequacy of staff:

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The leadership and management standard

13. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; (d) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; (e) ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; 30/06/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Any external agency staff should meet the requirements in regulation 32(4) regarding mandatory qualifications… and consider their qualifications and any induction necessary before they commence work in the home. The use of agency staff should be carefully monitored and reviewed to ensure children receive continuity of care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.16).  The registered person is responsible for ensuring that all staff consistently follow the home's policies and procedures for the benefit of the children in the home's care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.20).  As set out in regulations 31-33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes

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Recommendations

Regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1). This specifically refers to looking after the welfare of staff when they have been deprived of sleep due to the behaviour of children.  Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations… (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9). This specifically refers to ensuring that fire doors are not propped open or locked.

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Information about this children's home

This home is registered to care for five young people. It is one of a group of homes operated by a private provider. The home provides care for young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Require improvement

Young people are exposed to risk due to the lack of a consistent qualified staff team. Consequently, they struggle to make strong relationships with staff. Furthermore, the lack of permanent staff leads to poor communication between staff and boundaries are not upheld. This makes young people feel unsafe, frustrated and angry. Young people said, ‘It’s all right’, living in this home. They generally make progress, especially with regards to risky behaviour such as running away from care, and extreme drug and alcohol abuse. Young people have access to therapeutic input from trained therapists. They sometimes engage with the therapists, but will also refuse. A therapist will still come to the home and try to build a relationship with the young people. Therapists also offer strategies for staff to help them to help young people to manage their emotions. They are registered with the local doctor’s surgery, dentist and optician.

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Require improvement

They attend healthcare appointments as required, which ensures that they maintain a good level of physical and emotional health. Young people are encouraged to attend their education placements. Some young people engage well with education and others are struggling. Staff work well with education providers to support young people back into education. Young people feel listened to. Their views are sought and taken seriously. Young people have chosen the decor for their bedrooms, the weekly menu and the activities that they want to participate in. A young person proudly showed off his hamster, which he takes great care of. He was given the hamster as a reward for attending school for a period of time. Young people benefit from contact with their families, which is facilitated by staff. A youth offending team worker said: ‘They are very supportive with regards to family contact.’ Staff support young people to rebuild strong relationships with

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Require improvement

their family. Staff work in partnership with parents, which helps young people with their behaviour and wellbeing. Young people enjoy a range of recreational activities, hobbies and interests, such as football, the gym, trampolining and shopping. This also helps them integrate into their local community. Furthermore, young people have access to a wide variety of DVDs, games consoles and construction games. Young people are encouraged to carry out household tasks independently, such as shopping, cooking, washing and cleaning. They make good progress in this area, especially with regards to their extra-tidy bedrooms!

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Requires improvement

There have been a number of instances where practice could be improved to enable young people to remain safe. On one occasion young people and staff were put at risk when staff, who had been deprived of sleep, were asked to drive with young people in the car. Also poor communication and a lack of direction can put young people at risk of harm. For example, after a serious incident occurred, staff did not discuss during handover what plans were in place to ensure the young person remained safe. Furthermore, unqualified and inexperienced staff were initially on the shift overnight upon a young person’s return after a serious incident. This was changed after it was highlighted by the inspector. Fire safety could be improved. The kitchen fire door is constantly propped open, which could assist the spread of fire and hinder escape. Furthermore, some fire risk assessments should be reviewed with regards to locking, or propping open,

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Requires improvement

fire doors. This is inconsistent with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Nevertheless, young people are helped to understand how to evacuate the building in the event of a fire by completing regular fire drills. A reliance on staff from other homes and agency staff means that staff do not hold firm boundaries with young people. For example, the internet should be switched off at 11pm, but this does not always happen. This has caused young people to become frustrated and angry. However, the small, but core, staff team have a positive approach to managing conflict and poor behaviour. They spend time talking to young people, which means they can help young people to work through their anxieties. They also use incentives to help young people to manage their own behaviour. Young people do not often present severe challenging behaviours which result in physical intervention. Therefore, physical interventions are few. Staff do

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Requires improvement

receive regular training in this area which helps them not only to learn how to restrain a young person properly but also how to deescalate challenging situations. Staff are competent in their knowledge of the home’s child protection procedures and implement these well. Relationships with the local police are well developed and appropriately focused on the needs of young people. Young people do not go missing from this home. This is significant progress for some young people, as previously they have put themselves at serious risk by going missing. However, they do use illegal substances in the home. The local police have been to talk to young people and a misuse of substances worker has started working with them. There are good vetting systems in place to ensure that unsuitable adults do not work with young people.

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Inadequate

This home has recently been re-registered due to a change in the company. The registered manager is relatively new to the home, having started in October 2015. He is not yet qualified to the required standard. He is, however, undertaking the relevant qualification and hopes to complete it by September 2016. There is only a small team of staff who are experienced and know the young people well. New staff have recently started, but there is a reliance on staff from other homes and agency staff. Most staff are not currently qualified, as they are either new or in the process of completing a relevant qualification. The registered manager does not know whether agency staff are qualified, as this is not stated on their profiles. Young people are not looked after by a consistent, permanent staff team that would give them stability and a base to build strong relationships with staff on. A serious incident occurred just before this inspection. The quick thinking and

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Inadequate

actions of staff ensured the young person’s immediate safety. However, communication between staff, planning and direction about how staff should keep this young person safe, moving forward, was initially poor. Furthermore, the staff rostered for the night of the young person’s return were agency or staff inexperienced with the young people in this home. This was identified by the inspector, as a result of this intervention a more experienced member of staff was organised to work. Staff who had been deprived of sleep due to a serious incident the night before the inspection, continued to work their full shift, drive to collect a young person and then drive home. Staff driving whilst very tired could have put young people and staff at risk of harm. Staff feel very well supported by the registered manager. They receive regular staff supervision and training relevant to their roles. The registered manager is child-

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Inadequate

focused and understands the home’s strengths and weaknesses, and has plans to address identified shortfalls, including the staffing issues. The registered manager and staff work closely with other professionals, which has ensured that young people make progress. A youth offending team worker said: ‘I have seen a significant change in terms of thinking and behaviour.’

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against ‘Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection’.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm, or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and ‘Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards’. the guidance ‘Raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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